itsallgoingon

it's been a busy few days but full of really interesting moments - Book Art Symposium 2 at Camberwell was so extraordinarily profession, the students truly owned their practice and presented a fully engaging morning of ideas and work, so much so that my timing was almost a full 45 minutes off and as students had only 7 mins to present and 3 minutes for questions you can see how interesting it was. In the afternoon we went to Kingsland Projects http://www.kingsgateworkshops.org.uk/43-billboard to see the work of and talk with Fox Irving & Katarina Kelsey. They have been collaborating and evidence of this can be seen in the thoughtful billboard that can be viewed from the surrounding street and park.

Turn the page - https://www.turnthepage.org.uk/  the wonderful Book Art Fair organised by equally wonderful Rosie Sherwood, Alumni of The Book Art MA at Camberwell at The Form Norwich was really interesting, full of excellent work and committed makers. I missed the symposium, assessments and marking had overtaken my life. But the work at NUA is some of the most professional I have seen in my years of teaching. The students practice submitted for assessment leads me to believe that this year could be one of the most exciting final shows I have been involved in.

newwaysofthinking

Assessments are all over and all is well - the postgraduate exhibition at Camberwell for the Book Art MA will be excellent – there is some stunning work and the show looks good if I say so myself. It’s full of challenging, contemporary anarchic work. Every year I am stunned by the inventive ways the students explore the idea of the book, its properties and the very bookness of the book and this year is no exception, in fact there are some stunning examples where genuinely new ideas are explored.

Working on my thoughts for what I want from the experience of working with scientists at The Cambridge Nanoscience and Nanotechnology doctoral training centre (NanoDTC) over the summer. I think as ever when collaboration is on the table the obvious thing is the sharing of methodology, access to new ways of thinking and new materials but really for me it’s to be surprised and challenged – to not know – to be a little lost and maybe fail a little if not gloriously. We shall see.

Working with RAW and Lavish at latitude this year – looking at recycling, rethinking, re purposing and up-cycling abandoned materials – it will be fun – and then there’s the festival itself – the 10^th anniversary – I’ve attended all of them and there have been some awesome moments – for me its become a little dull with very few things on the ‘i-must-get-to-see-that’ list but maybe something will catch my eye (maybe the LADA sessions on Friday night) – it was interesting to go on site and stand where the sunrise arena will be before its built – the glade it sits in is so sweet – somebody had a great vision when they thought of transforming the space.

2014bookartsshow

Some images of the Book Art show at Camberwell – why not make a morning of it and pop into South London Gallery http://www.southlondongallery.org/page/whats-on – for me the shows highlight is a ‘digital flythrough’ of a space recreated within 3D software. Richard Healy, Pines, is like a Big Gay Fantasy Grand Design - it’s very specific look and particular feel for the spaces are explored and represented – it looks and sounds great.

multifunctionalfoldedspaces

the display in Bristol looks good - I like the idea that Sarah will continually rearrange the pieces in the space - this is the core of the idea - the multiple narratives created through the manipulation. http://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/les-bicknell.htm